Two people were left injured in Edmonton, Canada, after a stabbing incident occurred at a gurdwara early Friday morning when a 27-year-old man, who was released from federal prison only the previous day, was arrested by the police. The accused, who had been released on completion of his prison term after being convicted of aggravated assault and assaulting a police officer, allegedly stormed into the gurdwara early Friday morning in an attempt to gain entry into the prayer room, which was prevented by the staff members. The confrontation soon turned violent, and two individuals, including a priest and a volunteer who were aged 75 and 51 respectively, were stabbed using a screwdriver by the accused. They have been taken to the hospital in a stable condition.
Cause of the Attack
The man thought to be of Caucasian origin was already under notice by authorities that night due to his menacing attitude towards motorists on a highway. According to the president of the gurdwara, Zora Singh Grewal, the followers managed to protect the Guru Granth Sahib amidst the commotion. The Hate Crime Unit has joined the investigation into whether the motive behind the attack was a hate crime. Official charges have not been filed as of yet.
Reaction from the Political World Starts to Roll In
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney found it shocking and supported the victims of the incident and the entire Sikh community. While Alberta Premier Danielle Smith went a step ahead by relating the incident to the violence that has been increasing against Sikhs in the province and requested stricter bail and parole laws for those individuals with prior convictions. This incident comes at a time when there has been a lot of negativity about immigrants in Canada and particularly Sikhs.
-Ishita Ranjan
"Two people were left injured in Edmonton, Canada, after a stabbing incident occurred at a gurdwara early Friday morning when a 27-year-old m…"